Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich (arguably the only Vietnamese sandwich) featuring a freshly made baguette and typically filled with chiles, cucumber, a pickled vegetable or slaw, and your choice of protein. Variations abound.
Some banh mi recipes call for soy sauce or Maggi seasoning but we found our Vietnamese pork belly to be so flavorful that we didn’t need those extra flavors.
For our version, we referenced a recipe by Andrea Nguyen and used her carrot slaw. Daikon radish is traditionally used in the slaw but we can’t find daikon here in Sligo (on the west coast of Ireland), so we just used carrots. You can also add some fresh cilantro if desired.
Serves 4 (eight 4-inch sandwiches)
¼
cup white vinegar
½
cup water
¼
cup sugar
2
carrots, julienned
2–2½
cups Vietnamese-Style Pork Belly, shredded
½
cup reserved cooking liquid from the Vietnamese-Style Pork Belly
1
large baguette
¼
cup mayonnaise
1
English cucumber, seeds removed, julienned
2
jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro to taste, optional
- Bring the white vinegar, water, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the carrots. Let the carrots steep for 30 minutes, then drain, discarding the liquid.
- Warm the pork belly in the reserved cooking liquid.
- Slice the baguette into 8 equal lengths, then slice those pieces in half lengthwise. Toast the cut sides until lightly browned.
- Spread mayonnaise on the toast pieces, then add the warmed pork belly, carrots, cucumber, and chiles to taste. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
